US 12,474,056 B1
Method of operating a rotating detonation combustor
Daniel Depperschmidt, Saratoga Springs, NY (US); Kapil Singh, Rexford, NY (US); Arin Elspeth Lastufka Cross, Waterford, NY (US); Hannah Erin Bower, Rexford, NY (US); Sarah M. Monahan, Latham, NY (US); Aaron J. Glaser, Cincinnati, OH (US); and Eric J. Ruggiero, West Chester, OH (US)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Jun. 24, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/751,527.
Int. Cl. F23R 7/00 (2006.01); F02C 5/02 (2006.01); F23R 3/38 (2006.01); F23R 3/56 (2006.01)
CPC F23R 7/00 (2013.01) [F02C 5/02 (2013.01); F23R 3/38 (2013.01); F23R 3/56 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a rotating detonation combustor, the rotating detonation combustor including (a) a detonation chamber defined by an outer wall, an inner wall, and an upstream wall, (b) an outlet at a downstream end of the detonation chamber, the detonation chamber having a detonation chamber length defined by a distance extending from the upstream wall to the outlet, (c) an air inlet wall arranged at an upstream end of the detonation chamber and defining, at least in part, an air inlet, and (d) at least one fuel injector arranged to inject fuel into the detonation chamber, the method comprising:
providing a flow of air through the air inlet to flow into the detonation chamber;
providing a flow of the fuel from the at least one fuel injector into the detonation chamber;
mixing the flow of the fuel and the flow of the air in the detonation chamber to generate a fuel-air mixture;
detonating the fuel-air mixture in the detonation chamber to generate rotating detonation waves within the detonation chamber; and
controlling, by an engine controller, during operation of the rotating detonation combustor from a first power operating state to a second power operating state, different from the first power operating state, the air inlet wall to control the flow of the air through the air inlet into the detonation chamber to control a discharge coefficient within the detonation chamber and to control an operating mode of the rotating detonation combustor.